This one-day seminar focused on the needs and interests of established social businesses seeking finance on acceptable terms to grow their operations and impact.

The seminar was designed to equip participants with the practical information and knowledge about financial models that can support successful growth strategies and the relevance of finance being offered by specialist fund managers. It provided inspiration with stories of what is possible and gave some much-needed insight into lessons learned. It included a unique “reverse dragon’s den” where social enterprise leaders quizzed fund managers about the how the products they offer may be of use to social enterprises seeking to grow.

Uniquely starting from the perspective of the social business, this event cut through the hype about social investment and provided a practical overview of the different financial models that can finance growth. It explored a range of debt and equity solutions that relate to different levels of risk, with a series of presentations from experts and with practical case studies.

Those who attended included: senior staff of social businesses responsible for raising capital (CEOs, Finance Directors, Business Development Directors) and others interested in the growth of social enterprise.